and I thought I was going to die
This expression of near-death experience highlights the severity of the speaker's plight. In the context of Lamentations, traditionally attributed to the prophet Jeremiah, this reflects the profound suffering and destruction experienced during the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. The historical context of the Babylonian exile, a period of intense suffering and loss for the Israelites, underscores the depth of despair conveyed here. This phrase also resonates with the human condition of facing mortality and the fear of death, which is addressed throughout Scripture. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, Paul speaks of being burdened beyond strength, despairing of life itself, yet finding hope in God who raises the dead. This reflects a common biblical theme of deliverance and hope amidst despair, pointing ultimately to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the ultimate victory over death.

Jeremiah paints a picture of flood-like trouble sweeping in unchecked.

• Psalm 69:1-2 offers the same cry: “Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my neck.” Both writers use water as a literal force God controls (Genesis 7:17) and a vivid symbol of calamity.

• Isaiah 59:19 reminds us that “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD will lift up a standard against him,” assuring readers that no torrent can outrun God’s rescue.

• By stressing movement—“flowed”—the verse points to adversity that is not stagnant but relentlessly advancing, urging believers to cling to the unchanging Rock (Psalm 18:2).

Overwhelming sorrow now becomes personal and inescapable.

• Psalm 124:4-5 recalls Israel’s testimony: “Then the waters would have engulfed us… the raging waters would have swept us away.” The phrase underscores helplessness—there’s no footing, no breath, no control.

• Jonah 2:3 testifies, “You threw me into the depths… all Your breakers and waves swept over me,” showing God’s sovereignty even when distress feels suffocating.

• For modern readers, “over my head” affirms that believers can honestly acknowledge when pain feels beyond coping capacity while still trusting the Author of deliverance (2 Corinthians 1:8-10).

The prophet turns inward, revealing the battle in the mind.

• 2 Corinthians 10:5 urges believers to “take every thought captive,” highlighting that suffering often attacks our thinking first.

• Psalm 94:19—“When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought me joy”—pairs candid inner turmoil with God’s comfort, illustrating how Scripture validates emotional struggle but redirects it toward truth.

Jeremiah reaches what seems like a final verdict.

• 2 Kings 20:1 shows Hezekiah hearing, “Put your house in order, for you are going to die,” yet God extended his life—demonstrating that divine authority alone decides endings.

• 2 Corinthians 1:9 echoes the pattern: “Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.”

• Revelation 1:18 comforts with Christ’s words, “I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore,” assuring believers that even literal death submits to the risen Lord.

Lamentations 3:54 walks us step by step from an advancing flood, to total submersion, to anxious thoughts, to the brink of death. Each stage validates real, crushing hardship while spotlighting God’s unmatched power to rescue. The verse invites believers to bring honest despair to the God who commands the waters and raises the dead, trusting Him to transform overwhelming sorrow into a testimony of His faithfulness.